News
Futurewise Summary Analysis of the Road Map to Washington’s Future
For almost 30 years, Futurewise has worked to encourage sustainable natural and built environments by using the policy, advocacy and legal tools available through Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA). We have great appreciation for the GMA framework, however, we … Continue reading
A Letter to Our Supporters
Dear Supporters of Futurewise, I’m writing to inform you that our Executive Director, Chris Wierzbicki, has resigned from Futurewise effective July 30th. Chris was offered a position as the Public Works Director for the City of Bainbridge Island (where he … Continue reading
Wonkabout Washington: Pierce County Subarea Plan Draft EIS Is Inadequate
In this month’s Wonkabout Washington, we’re diving into amendments to four of Pierce County’s subarea plans. Specifically, we’re examining the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for amended Community Plans for South Hill, Mid-County, Frederickson and Parkland-Spanaway-Midland, which make up the central … Continue reading
Wonkabout Washington: Designing High-Speed Rail for Equity and Regulating King County Wineries
Futurewise is pushing the advisory group to use an equity lens in high-speed rail planning. As The Urbanist recently reported, Washington state is moving forward with funding studies for an interstate high-speed rail line corridor between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon. … Continue reading
Legislative Update – April 24, 2019
We’re pleased to announce that HB 1923 passed both the House and Senate yesterday – the final version of the bill closely reflects the summary that we offered in our blog post of April 12th. Even though the bill has weaknesses – particularly … Continue reading
Wonkabout Washington: Waterways and Skyway
Snohomish County Reconsiders Developing Channel Migration Zones The Growth Management Act, including the Shoreline Master Program, touches many different land use issues in many different parts of the state. Futurewise works with local partners across Washington who keep us informed … Continue reading
Legislative Update – April 19, 2019
While we wait for our priority bill, HB 1923 to make it out of the Senate after some minor language changes, here’s an update on the status of some of the other bills we have been supporting in Olympia in … Continue reading
Improvements to the Benton County Comprehensive Plan Protect Rural Residents
Benton County is the second fastest growing county in all of Washington state. As the County welcomes thousands of new residents each year, we as a community have a responsibility to plan wisely for growth. County residents want to protect … Continue reading
More Housing for People, Less for Cars
Futurewise and partners at the Seattle City Council hearing on parking legislation Imagine a policy that could help lower the cost of rent, relieve congestion, reduce our transportation emissions and air pollution, and also improve bicycle parking. By changing Seattle’s … Continue reading
Legislative Update – April 12, 2019
We have been working hard in Olympia over the last couple of weeks to shape HB 1923 into legislation that aligns our growth strategy goals and values: advancing equitable, affordable in-fill development in cities that offer access to opportunity and … Continue reading